NFL: No looking back for Eagles as they head to Dallas

Philadelphia Eagles' Nick Foles passes during the first half against the Chicago Bears. Foles passed for seven touchdowns in a game, threw 19 touchdowns before being picked off and has Philadelphia in position to win the NFC East. (AP Photo)

Kelly stretched the moment out for what seemed an eternity before staring them down.

“Did you get it out of your system?” he asked.

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The telling answer will come Sunday night when the Eagles oppose the Dallas Cowboys without injured quarterback Tony Romo at AT&T Stadium.

Though the Eagles humiliated the Chicago Bears, 54-11, after letting go of their five-game winning streak in Minneapolis, the ultimate challenge is to win the NFC East title at the expense of the Cowboys.

In the case of the Eagles (9-6), it’s a winner-takes-all game, although a tie gets the Birds in. The Cowboys (8-7) would own the head-to-head tiebreaker with a triumph but cannot secure the pennant without one.

The loser is eliminated. Eagles players don’t feel this game will be anything like the loss to the Vikings, who were without their star, Adrian Peterson. Kelly cannot wait to see the way his team gets out of the gate.

“I think we are all excited about going down there and what’s at stake and what we can do,” Kelly said. “But I’m not Curious George wondering how we’re going to show up or if we’re going to show up. Just that we are excited about playing a really, really good team who beat us the last time we played them. And obviously there’s a lot at stake.”

Before Romo was ruled out of the game following back surgery, various Eagles suggested whoever the quarterback is will be irrelevant.

Kyle Orton is slated to get the start for the Cowboys, who are trying to spin how fortunate it is to be able to trot out a backup who in eight NFL seasons with five teams has a 35-34 record. If Orton fails, 41-year-old Jon Kitna is in the bullpen.

“He’s not a rookie,” linebacker Connor Barwin said of the 31-year-old Orton. “He’s been a successful starter in the league. I don’t think they’re worried about throwing a rookie in there that’s never played in an NFL game before. There’s not a huge difference game planning.”

At the same time the Eagles dismantled the powerful Bears offense that was averaging almost 30 points the previous week.

The formula to get after the Cowboys is no different. The Eagles intend to throw everything at Orton and force the Cowboys to play catchup.

“I think the Bears game proves the kind of football we’re capable of playing when we play a clean game,” Barwin said. “I don’t think we made very many mistakes on defense. I think Billy (Davis) called a great game as far as giving them different looks and different fits and they never figured out what we were doing on defense. That’s what we’re capable of when we play sound and we play clean.”

The Eagles’ confidence in Foles is through the roof. Foles was just 11 of 29 for 80 yards with a 46.2 passer rating in the 17-3 loss to the Cowboys with Romo earlier this season.

Foles now leads the league with a 118.8 rating constructed around a 63.9 completion percentage, 25 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

“This is why you play the game,” Foles said. “You play the game for meaningful games at the end of the season to give your team an opportunity in the NFL to play for the playoffs. This is what you play for all season, and it’s a special time.”

Williams wasn’t around the last time the Eagles played the Cowboys in a win-or-go-home game to complete the regular season. Five years ago almost to the day the 2008 Eagles crushed the Cowboys, 44-6, at Lincoln Financial Field to trigger a playoff run that took them to the NFC title game. The Birds haven’t been close since. They haven’t reached the playoffs in three seasons. Williams thinks that will change.

“This is going to be a game that people should remember I think,” Williams said. “It’s going to be a battle for four quarters. I’m sure Dallas, they don’t care about who their starting quarterback is. They’re going to try to win the game and get in the playoffs.”

Defensive end Trent Cole, who broke up a pass in the ’08 game, proclaimed himself “all-in” for the stretch run.

“When you get an opportunity like this it’s going to get anyone fired up — any NFL player,” Cole said. “This is a chance to make that road to the Bowl. So I’m all-in. You know what I’m saying? I’m all-in from here on out. I’m going to play my hardest in every game.”

Finally there’s the do-or-die dynamic embraced by the players. Kelly suggested the Eagles have been feeling pressure since their 3-5 start. It sure seems like the players are embracing Kelly’s “it’s a one game season” mantra. The finality of the situation is impossible to ignore.

“It’s something we definitely think about but at the same time, we continue to work like we know how,” linebacker Brandon Graham said. “Once we put it all out there, I don’t feel like we’ll be disappointed if something bad was to happen. But I highly doubt that something bad will happen. I really feel like we’re going to go out there and do what we have to do to win the game.

“We definitely deserve to go to the playoffs as much as we’ve been through during the season. There’s no other way that we would want it.”